Mother
by nejiandtentenfan
Summary: The son of Hyuuga Neji has never known the joy of having a normal loving family, like the other Genin on his team. But for the brief moment that he does, it could already be considered as too late. [NejiTen] [Oneshot]


_**A/N: **__Aw man, I have to take a break from all these multi-chapter stories I'm in the middle of. I have no idea what I'm going to do with Possession, and I just need to relax by making a oneshot – heh, something I haven't done in like half a year XD Hope you guys enjoy this one! By the way…I used the word 'musuko' in this story, which means son. If you're Japanese and I'm wrong, heh, you can let me know. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Naruto and am making no profit from this fanfic._

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**Mother**

By nejiandtentenfan

I hate my family. I hate the rules of this household. I wish I was born into a different family. I wish I lived a normal life like all the other Genin on my team. Of all the things in my life that I deplore, my own mother is the one that I hate most.

She looks at me with disgust as if she never gave birth to me – as if she never labored for hours to bear a son who she would proudly mother as I grew up. Each time I look at her crystal blue eyes and each time I set my eyes upon her sheen black hair, my heart grows angry and I want to throw a few shuriken at her. A pretty face she is, that is true, but I swear her jagged heart is carved from cold marble. She yells at me every day for any reason she can pull from her insane mind.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE IF ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS DISRESPECT ME!!!"

Those are the words that have been etched into my brain since I was young, the concept that I am trash, and will never play a role in this world. I don't hate my father, but at the same time, I don't feel that our relationship is as a father-son relationship should be.

My father is a solemn and quiet man, he never talks much. He is a much respected ANBU member and isn't home often. I see him only a couple days during the week, and during his stay, my mom acts like a total angel as if she doesn't hate me. On those days, all I hear is, "You sweet angel, can Mommy get you anything?" And I respond with a sharp silent glare, which Father reacts to by pulling me away to a corner and asking me what's wrong with me.

Each time I give him the same response, "I hate her," and leave it at that.

The stern ivory eyed figure that Father is, is what everyone in the village says I resemble. As the only son of Hyuuga Neji, my expectations are up there. I must not shame my clan, even if I am of the branch family. Hinata-sama of the main house, although the same age as my father, has decided not to wed yet, nor has she made the decision to bear a child. If she ever decides to, her children will most definitely have a brighter future than me, but for the time being, I am the main focus in the Hyuuga clan. Many of my relatives are already speaking of me passing the Chuunin Exams in a few months time.

No matter how important of a role I play in the Hyuuga clan, or how much glory I must bring to this family name, it will all be done with an empty and bitter heart – because without a loving mother, and with a father that is never home, I will never be able to experience the love that all of my other friends receive from their families. I never have, and I never will.

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It was a cold night when I had been sitting on the matted floor in the unlit corner of my house, sipping my cup of green tea in an attempt to warm up, but also in a desperate attempt to stay as far away as possible from my mother and her shrieking voice. I looked out the clear glass window in front of me and thoughtlessly observed the streaks of rain water find their way from one end of the window straight to the other. The pattering sound from the raindrops thumping hard on the ground outside completed this lonely setting.

This was the night when Father had come unexpectedly bursting into the door panting sharply for air in his soaking ANBU uniform, hair dripping with icy water, cheekbones tinted pink from the low temperature, and, the most unusual part of the scene, the unconscious woman in his arms. She had chocolate brown hair, only a bit of a lighter shade than my own, damp and tied up in two high buns at the top of her head. Her facial features were elegant and only further illuminated her beauty. She was wearing regular sandals, bergandy capris, and a silky white chinese style shirt, with gold lacing.

The scene was so abrupt and there I was, dumbfounded and numb with confusion. Mother came bursting into the room with a confused look on her face, but that confusion quickly turned into something I recognised as…disapproval? Or was that just my imagination? Either way, I had never seen that expression plastered on her face so deeply before that I couldn't help but wonder who this woman Father carried was.

"What's _she _doing here?" Mother asked. She had utter that pronoun like it was a cuss word, but Father seemed to ignore the rude remark.

"Akane," Father spoke Mother's name sharply, "prepare an extra futon in the guest room quickly."

Mother had left with such a look mixed with hate and hurt that I grew more and more lost than ever before. Father didn't look the least bit nervous, but he continuously glanced at the woman he carried with what seemed to be concern and worry.

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"Musuko…you may come in. We must speak together anyways of certain circumstances."

Father said that to me this morning when I couldn't resist peaking inside the guest room. I was mildly surprised that he was awake, since it was only 6 AM. He appeared to have been keeping watch over this woman all night.

I tiptoed in at Father's command and kneeled down by his side next to the futon this lady was resting on that Mother had prepared for her. I studied her facial features for a few brief seconds before I noticed Father watching my gaze, and I quickly turned to face him directly.

"You must be wondering…" Father started, but then trailed off in search for the correct words.

"Who is she?" I let the question slip from my mouth before he could finish his sentence. I was too curious to know the answer to wait any longer.

Father took a deep breath and shifted his body a bit in uncomfort, "She is my old team member. I was sent out on a mission to rescue her. She was on an asassination mission of her own and was knocked out from behind by a Cloud nin. And I…think you should meet her now since I think it's only fair for you to…"

The sound of the bed sheets ruffling turned my attention to the woman lying on the bed, who was now repositioning herself to sit upright against the wall behind her. Father also turned his attention to her, assissting her and I heard him whisper what I assumed to be her name, "Tenten."

Tenten looked at me for a long while as I stared at the large gash on her right cheek before I saw tears start to form at the edge of her eyelids. Her cold slender hand reached out and her palm rested on my forehand.

She rasped with all the energy that she had left in her, "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you," she stiffled a chuckle, "you look just like Neji when he was a Genin."

There was a small pause when she inhaled a small trembling breath and airily respired the word just loud enough for Father and I to hear, "Musuko…"

My eyes widened as Tenten closed her eyes and her breathing faded. The soft drizzling of rain concealed the sound of her breathing, which now no longer existed. I watched father bow his head out of the corner of my eye. I watched his hand reach for one of those pale fragile hands that had touched my forehead, squeezing it for a moment as if it would bring some sort of comfort. As we both mindlessly wished and almost somewhat expected this scene to end miraculously in a happy manner and have Tenten open her eyes and tell us she was fine, our hearts never got this luxury.

I, son of Hyuuga Neji, heir of the almighty Hyuuga clan, who is expected to become ANBU by the time I am an official man, and who previously found no point in life without a family, have finally felt a string of warmth inside my heart, and have finally found a calming peaceful sensation knowing I was not always looked upon as trash, but I once belonged to a caring mother who looked upon me as her precious jewel, a caring mother who needed me. And right when this woman who labored for hours to bear me as her child laid eyes on me again for the first time in 13 years, the moment lasted no more than 5 minutes.

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Two mornings later, at exactly 6 AM, I solemnly bow my head in front of the poorly carved rock that had the name "Tenten" engraved in it in secret under the light sprinkle of rain. Father is not home and Akane-san thinks I am in my room studying an ancient weapons scroll. I have heard Tenten was a master with weaponry. But none of that matters anymore for she is dead.

For the first time in 13 years, I whisper the name with a sincere heart.

"_Mother."_

_**THE END**_


End file.
